Harvest Home
Helping Houseless Mothers
Harvest Home is more than a shelter to protect the houseless. It is a place dedicated to providing a safe haven for pregnant women and their children by providing housing and educational programs to equip women to flourish as great mothers. The organization has been empowering women for over 30 years in Venice, CA.
When they made the decision to expand their reach and open a second home in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, RIOS jumped at the opportunity to make an impact, providing architecture, landscape, graphics, and video services for Harvest Home.
The Flourish Campaign
This documentary-style video shares the stories of vulnerable soon-to-be mothers and how to support Harvest Home’s unique fight against homelessness in Los Angeles.
Harvest Home’s first goal was to raise $4 million to fund the renovation of the new Pico-Robertson home, provide furnishings, and ensure 3 years of operational support. RIOS quickly became involved, including the production of a fundraising video to communicate their mission. Through the video, Harvest Home was able to tell their story, as well as the stories of mothers who experienced a new life through the program, and give a call to action for the community to step up and provide financial support.
The Process
A video about Harvest Home would be incomplete without the stories of mothers impacted by homelessness and the program that saved their lives. RIOS needed to capture these stories while still protecting the identity of current residents. The solution was to interview alumnae of the program, rather than residents, who remain active with the home and visit regularly. The addition of these voices made a significant contribution to the story and tone of the video, highlighting the real need that the organization is trying to meet.
No space is left unused at Harvest Home, and the RIOS video team had to be creative in capturing interviews while making them each unique, utilizing wide lenses and bounce-light to compete with tight interior spaces.
As production moved to the new home, additional interviews were held in the new facility, empty as it prepared for renovation. This included a call-to-action from Harvest Home’s Executive Director, Sarah Wilson, and donors Alec and Katie McNayr, underlining the importance of community support for Harvest Home.
Continued Support
There’s still a long road ahead, and a continued need to end generational homelessness. If you’d like to help raise funds for the expansion, support Harvest Home’s mission to help the lives of homeless women and their children in Los Angeles County.